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22 Oct 2025

Two Donegal gardai deployed to Dublin in wake of riots

Donegal Garda bosses have confirmed that two officers were deployed to Dublin to assist in policing the city two days after rioting in the capital city last month

Two Donegal gardai deployed to Dublin in wake of riots

A vehicle burns in Dublin city centre during the rioting last month.

Just two gardai from Donegal were deployed to Dublin to assist in the wake of the Dublin riots last month.

The figure was confirmed at a meeting of the Donegal Joint Policing Committee (JPC).

Sinn Féin Deputy Pearse Doherty raised the matter during the meeting at the County House in Lifford.

Deputy Doherty asked when a request came in for assistance, how late or how early that request came in and how many officers were deployed.

While Chief Superintendent Aidan Glacken told the meeting that it was not his belief that anyone from the Donegal Garda Division was deployed to assist, Superintendent Goretti Sheridan said two gardai went to Dublin on Saturday, November 25 - two days after the rioting.

On that evening, Katie Taylor boxed Chantelle Cameron in front of a crowd of 9,000 people at the 3Arena.

“From time to time, members are deployed from Donegal to assist at concerts, football matches or sporting occasions and likewise members are brought in to Donegal for things like the rally,” Chief Superintendent Glacken said.

Buncrana-based Independent Councillor Nicholas Crossan said the incidents in Dublin on November 23 were ‘some of the most horrific scenes that I have seen’.

Hundreds of people looted shops, set vehicles alight and attacked gardai and other members of the public over several hours in Dublin. Some 34 people have been arrested and gardai are pouring over 6,000 hours of CCTV footage from the incidents.

The rioting began hours after an incident at Parnell Square East in which a man stabbed three children, including a five-year-old girl, who was critically injured, and a care worker who attempted to shield the children outside Gaelscoil Coláiste Mhuire.

Councillor Crossan said: “Three years ago frontline workers were carried shoulder high, but in Dublin we saw some of the most horrific scenes I’ve seen. Garda colleagues put their own lives on the line to try and keep order in the city. I condemn the violence, looting and thuggery. It was sickening watching TV when the real horror of the day was distracted from.”

On Tuesday evening this week, the Irish government won a motion of confidence in itself by 83 votes to 63.

The government tabled a counter motion to a Sinn Féin motion of no confidence in Justice Minister Helen McEntee.

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